Chair



5. VADNER Dec. 12, 1967 CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1966 INVENTOR. SAMUEL VADNER ATTORNEYS.

DEC. 12, s V CHAIR Filed Nov. 23, 1966 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 mm I 60 M 72 55 e2 56 l INVENTOR. SAMUEL VADNER ATTORNEYS.

v United: States Patent. Oflice 3,357,741 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 CHAIR Samuel Vadner, 126 Dartmouth Road, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa. 19004 Filed Nov. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 596,647 Claims. (Cl. 297-445) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Tubular aluminum members are interconnected by single bolt connections to form a knock-down chair for lifeguards, tennis umpires and playground supervisors. A seat, back rest and shelf are provided. The rear legs are single lengths of tubing extending from the ground to the top of the back rest. Tubular members extend between the lower extremities of the front legs and the lower extremities of the rear legs to provide a solid footing.

This invention relates generally to outdoor furniture and particularly to a knock-down chair for lifeguards, tennis umpires and playground supervisors.

An important object of the present invention is to provide such a chair which is simple in design and quickly and easily assembled and disassembled using only simple tools.

Another object is to provide such a chair which when disassembled may be packed in a carton of convenient size for shipment.

Another object is to provide such a chair having ground-engaging tubular bars which keep the legs of the chair from digging into or otherwise injuring the underlying supporting surface, and which provide solid support that four legs without such bars cannot provide because one of the four legs may rest on an area of the supporting surface that is soft. When used indors, as at indoor tennis matches, the tubular bars keep the legs of the chair from injuring the surface of the floor, as by digging into or scratching it.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent when the following description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the chair shown in FIGURE 1:

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the chair; and

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the chair.

The following description is directed to the specific form of the chair illustrated in the drawings. It is not addressed to the scope of the invention, which may be practiced in a variety of forms.

The opposite sides of the chair are provided by two rigid frames substantially alike. except that (1) they are made right and left hand, and (2) the right-hand arm rest is shaped differently from the left-hand arm rest, in consequence of which a description of one will suflice also for a description of the other. Referring particularly to FIGURE 2, a side frame comprises a front leg extending upwardly and rearwardly straight from the ground to arm rest level, a rear leg 12 extending upwardly and forwardly straight from the ground to seat level and then curving and extending upwardly and rcarwardly straight from the seat level to a height well above arm rest level. Interconnecting legs 10 and 12 are an arm rest 14, a shelf support bar 16 and a brace 18. The legs 10 and I2, shelf support bar 16 and brace 18 are each made of a single length of aluminum tubing. Arm rest 14 comprises two lengths of aluminum tubing 20 and 22 underlying an aluminum arm rest plate 24 on the right-hand side of the chair and 25 on the left-hand side of the chair. The

opposite end portions of the shelf support bar 16 and of the brace 18 are flattened and bolted to the legs 10 and 12, as at 26, 28 and 30. The shelf support bar 16 is disposed on the inner side of the legs 10 and 12, while the bar 18 is disposed on the outer side of the legs 10 and 12. The upper end portion of the leg 10 is flattened and disposed between the corresponding fore end portions of the tubular members 20 and 22 and bolted thereto, as at 32. The rear end portion of the tubular members 20 and 22 are flattened and bolted to the leg 12, as at 34. On the right-hand side of the chair the angular arm rest plate 24 is secured by bolts 32 and 34, and on the lefthand side of the chair the angular arm rest plate 25 is secured by the bolts 32 and 34. Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be noted that the opposite side frames are disposed respectively in planes which converge upwardly. In addition, it will be noted that the only difference between the arm rest plates is that plate 25 is made wider than plate 24 to afford the occupant of the chair a surface upon which to rest a pad, card or the like.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the front legs 10 are interconnected by a plurality of rungs or bars 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 and a seat support bar 48. The rungs and the seat support bar are each a single length of aluminum tubing with flattened opposite end portions bolted to the legs 10, as at 50. The uppermost rung 46 is at foot rest level, and bar 48 is at seat level. Throughout the entire length of the rung 38 the lower surface thereof is disposed in the same horizontal plane as the lower extremities of the legs -10.

Referring to FIGURE 4, rear legs 12 are interconnected by a bar 52, a seat support bar 54 and back rest bars 56 and 58. These bars are each a single length of aluminum tubing with flattened opposite end portions bolted to the legs 12. as at 60. The bar 54 is at seat level and the bars 56 and 58 are disposed to support a back rest. Throughout the entire length of the bar 52 the lower surface thereof is disposed in the same horizontal plane as the lower extremities of the legs 12.

A series of wooden slats 62 span the bars 48 and 54 to form a seat 64. The opposite end portions of each slat are bolted to the bars 48 and 54, as at 66. A series of wooden slats 68 span the bars 56 and 58 to form a back rest 70. The opposite end portions of each slat are bolted to the bars 56 and 58, as at 72, by countersunk bolts. The slats 68 are spaced apart a distance sufficient for accommodating a clamp-on umbrella (not shown) extending upwardly from the back rest. A series of wooden slats 74 span the bars 16 to form a shelf 76 and strengthen the chair. The opposite end portions of each slat are bolted to the bars 16, as at 78. The height from the ground to the seat 64 is approximately five feet, and the shelf 76 is approximately midway between the ground .and the seat.

It will he observed that the chair may be assembled and disassembled using only a screwdriver and a small flat wrench. When disassembled, the chair may be packed in an easy to handle carton, measuring approximately 3V2" x 8" x 79", for shipment. The two bars 38 and 52 keep the legs 10 and 12 from digging in" and injuring the surface of a clay, grass or wooden-floor tennis court. In addition, the bars 38 and 52 provide a solid support that the chair legs cannot provide when one of them is over a soft spot in a clay or grass court. Furthermore, since the back rest slats are spaced apart, a clamp-on umbrella may be attached to the upper back rest bar 58 in a plurality of positions, to suit the occupant. Protection from the sun is very important to a lifeguard or tennis umpire. The simplicity of the side frame construction is novel in that the side frame consists of five members only, including the arm rest.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knock-down chair for lifeguards, tennis umpires and playground supervisors, the combination comprising a pair of opposite side frames each consisting of a front leg extending upwardly and rearwardly straight from the ground to arm rest level, a rear leg extending upwardly and forwardly straight from the ground to seat level approximately five feet above the ground and there curving and extending upwardly and rearwardly to a height well above arm rest level, a horizontal shelf support bar, an inclined bracing member, and a horizontal arm rest, said shelf support bar, bracing member and arm rest each interconnecting said legs, said shelf support bar being disposed approximately midway between ground and seat levels, and said side frames being disposed respectively in upwardly converging planes, a plurality of vertically spaced bars interconnecting the front legs of said side frames, a plurality of vertically spaced bars interconnecting the rear legs of said side frames, a seat spanning a pair of said bars at seat level, a back rest spanning a pair of the vertically spaced bars interconnecting said rear legs, and a shelf spanning the shelf support bars of said side frames.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the rear leg of the side frame is a single length of aluminum tubing.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the lowermost bars interconnecting the front legs of the side frames and interconnecting the rear legs of the side frames engage the ground to provide a solid footing.

4. T he combination according to claim 3 wherein the seat. back rest and shelf are each made up of a series of slats each of which is bolted in position independently of the others.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein the front legs, rear legs, shelf support bars, bracing members, arm rest, bars interconnecting the front legs, bars interconnecting the rear legs, and the seat, back rest and shelf slats are each secured by single bolt connections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,107,994 8/1914 Patrick 297-41 1,449,473 3/1923 Westbrook 297-449 2,050,667 8/1936 Moreland 29737 3,050,280 8/1962 Regan 24840 3,135,552 6/1964 Lockshin 297-452 3,245,720 4/1966 Wenger 297-445 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A KNOCK-DOWN CHAIR FOR LIFEGUARDS, TENNIS UMPIRES AND PLAYGROUND SUPERVISORS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDE FRAMES EACH CONSISTING OF A FRONT LEG EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY STRAIGHT FROM THE GROUND TO ARM REST LEVEL, A REAR LEG EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY STRAIGHT FROM THE GROUND TO SEAT LEVEL APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND THERE CURVING AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY TO A HEIGHT WELL ABOVE ARM REST LEVEL, A HORIZONTAL SHELF SUPPORT BAR, AN INCLINED BRACING MEMBER, AND A HORIZONTAL ARM REST, SAID SHELF SUPPORT BAR, BRACING MEMBER AND ARM REST EACH INTERCONNECTING SAID LEGS, SAID SHELF SUPPORT BAR BEING DISPOSED APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY BETWEEN GROUND AND SEAT LEVELS, AND SAID SIDE FRAMES BEING DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY IN UPWARDLY CONVERGING PLANES, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED BARS INTERCONNECTING THE FRONT LEGS OF SAID SIDE FRAMES, PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED BARS INTERCONNECTING THE REAR LEGS OF SAID FRAMES, A SEAT SPANNING A PAIR OF SAID BARS AT SEAT LEVEL, A BACK REST SPANNING A PAIR OF THE VERTICALLY SPACED BARS INTERCONNECTING SAID REAR LEGS, AND A SHELF SPANNING THE SELF SUPPORT BARS OF SAID SIDE FRAMES. 